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Who Are You Doing This For?

If someone told you, “Lose weight and I’ll give you $100,” you might be motivated to try and lose excess weight and get healthy. What if your doctor, spouse, children or significant other encouraged you to lose weight because they are concerned about you? Does that really motivate you?

If someone told you, “Lose weight and I’ll give you $100,” you might be motivated to try and lose excess weight and get healthy. What if your doctor, spouse, children or significant other encouraged you to lose weight because they are concerned about you? Does that really motivate you?

Honestly, both my spouse and my doctor encouraged me to lose my weight during the 10 years I was obese. My husband was very gentle and just told me he wanted me to feel better about myself, while my doctor told me that I really needed to lose weight.

Sadly, no one ever offered me money to lose weight.

Even though I listened to the concern of my husband and doctor, just hearing what they said wasn’t enough motivation for me to lose weight. Even as I was inhaling packages of miniature chocolate candy bars and making a batch of French fries just for myself, I’d remember those concerned, kind words. But I couldn’t seem to stop.

Over and over I tried to lose weight for my kids, for my doctor, for my husband – for everyone but myself. Sure, I thought I was doing it for myself, but in reality, I was trying to please everyone and failing miserably.

It wasn’t until I took ownership of my weight problems, emotional issues with food and acknowledged the struggles I had controlling myself around certain types of food did I begin to experience success. I took stock of where I was and realized that I was not happy with myself. Not only was I unhappy with my appearance and the rolls of fat I carried around, but I was also unhappy with my life. I felt like I was not living up to my full potential as a wife and mother – not only because I weighed 300 pounds, but because I didn’t have the energy to do the things I desired to do.

Losing weight for myself involved a change of attitude and a realization that the only person I needed to satisfy was myself. That released a lot of stress as then I was just trying to get healthy and fit for me, and not for anyone else.

I didn’t have to attain a certain weight just because someone told me to, but rather I lost weight until I felt comfortable with myself. I didn’t need to run a 5K for anyone but myself. And best of all, when I did achieve those goals, I felt satisfied with myself.

That feeling of satisfaction and reaching my goals for no one but myself has continued all these years. I’d encourage you to get healthier for you – because you are the one that has to live in your body.

Blog written by Diane Carbonell
Diane Carbonell lost 158 pounds and has maintained the loss for over 12 years. During those years of maintenance, she gave birth...